Eisenhower Park

Wyatt is helping me stay more consistent on the bike by joining me for weekly rides. He’s not been cycling much either, so we’re starting and progressing at the same speed. After a month of cycling, I might try to schedule some rides with Steve. Steve is always willing to ride, but he has a tendency to ride hard, which takes the enjoyment out of the ride.

Wyatt and I rode two loops inside Eisenhower Park and beat our prior time by 2:30 minutes, plus we added three extra miles. We plan to use the double loop as a measure of our fitness.

The weather was perfect. We saw four other riders in the park. After our ride, one of the older cyclists (60's) talked to us for 30-minutes about the sport. He was an interesting gentleman and I wish I was half as healthy as him. He mentioned he was already 3-hours into his morning ride and still needed to log another hour. He’s the MAN!

I finished my push-ups early, because I keep forgetting till late in the evening. I’m feeling a little stronger. I think the program is going to be a success!

Road Bike:

13.78 miles

57:50

Push-ups: 30

14.31 mph

Homework at work...

Worked 24-hours at Humble FD

I had a great shift on Medic two. I was able to finish lots of homework. The only call of the shift came in at 1:30am.

Not a bad day at all…

Push-ups: 28

Pride

I took the kids on a four-mile walk through the neighborhood, collecting trash. I used the opportunity to teach the kids about community service, pride, and recycling. 

I didn’t realize it, but today was a “Klean-wood” day, so there were large groups of people already on the streets picking up garbage.  We still found aluminum cans, which we collected for our recycling bin.

The rest of the day was spent being lazy with the kids. I attached a couple videos of the kids acting silly...

Walk:

3.97 miles

1:29:30

22:33 pace

First road bike session of 2012

Wyatt and I went to Eisenhower Park to ride our road bikes. It’s been more than six-months since either of us has been on our road bikes, so we decided to go for a nice and easy stroll around the park.

The weather was on the borderline of being too cold to ride, but it ended up being ideal cycling conditions.  The ride went well, although the hills took an exhausting toll on us. We worked on shifting into the small ring to climb the hills rather than standing up and aggressively climbing. This should help us better prepare for rolling hill terrain.

Alyson wanted to run this evening, so I followed her on my trail bike. Even though the bike speed was slow, it was another couple miles in the saddle.  

Push-ups: 30

Road Bike (plus 2.5 miles on trail bike)

12.92 miles

1:18:19

8.84 mph

Rain

I spent most of the day doing homework. I’m starting to wonder if going back to school to finish my BS is a smart idea. I have so much going on right now and it is starting to become another stressor, which I do NOT need.

Strong thunderstorms came through the area, leaving us with 3-4 inches of rain.

The rain continued for most of our evening run, but it wasn’t enough to scare away the Texas Trail Nerds! At least the rain distracted me from the huge loss of trees inside East End Park. It seems most of the large mature trees are all gone. This is very sad for our little park. I can tell the boardwalks have taken a beating from the fallen trees, but KOA seems to be on top of repairs.

The nerds were six strong and good times were had by all. I’m going to continue bringing my cooler with drinks. It was fun hanging out and talking before everyone took off.  Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t bad enough to scare away the mosquitos. They were swarming with vengeance this evening, OUCH!

The evening ended on a sad note. Erin emailed me a copy of Alison's 4th grade "pre-writing notes" for the STAAR practice essay. Alison chose to write about an important person in her life, me. The essay was sweet and loving, but I literally broke-down when she talked about seldom seeing her dad. I wish things were different...

Push-ups: 25

Run:

2.53 miles

33:50

13:22 pace

Night Run

Worked 7 hours at Humble FD (on a shift trade)

I’m learning to squeeze in time for homework wherever I can. Even though we ran three EMS calls during the 7-hours I worked, I still managed to complete another math homework assignment. Textbooks for the other two classes arrived today, which means more reading in my future.

It’s a rather long story, but I talked with a psychotherapist today. Within the first 30-minutes she labeled me as “passive-aggressive” based on one particular incident we discussed. She encouraged me to research the behavior and report back to her if she is correct. Well, I read about PA on multiple online websites and she missed this diagnosis. Seriously, 18 of the top 20 most commons signs of PA don’t fit me at all. In fact, many are complete opposites. I wonder why she said I was PA?

I took advantage of the slightly cooler weather with a two-mile run. The run pace was faster than I expected, yet the walk pace was slower than I anticipated. Either way it was a good workout. I ran on the greenbelts at night, without a light. Not being able to see more than 10-feet ahead heightens your senses and allows me to forget about the uncomfortableness of the run.

Push-ups: 23

Run:

2.34 miles

33:49

14:27 pace

Worn out

This year’s obligations have already taken a toll on my body. School, work x 2, training, and a small social life keep me going 100-mph. It’s been exceptionally tough for the last three weeks and now it is catching up to me. I’m feeling sickly.

This morning Alyson convinced me to go for a walk at Lake Houston Park. Even though I didn’t feel well, I enjoyed my time outdoors. It was nice to see the trails were in good shape and the trees fared significantly better than they did in Kingwood.

We added a handful of small running intervals on our out-and-back route, but our overall pace makes it appear we walked the entire duration.

I’m on day two of my daily push-up challenge.

Push-ups: 22

Run:
5.25 miles

1:32:08

17:33 pace

Nasty weather

Working 21 hours at Humble FD today

I took off a few hours this morning to attend a college orientation class. Afterwards I managed to squeeze in a small walk/run.

The humidity was off the charts and it was warm, resulting in a miserable run. I left the house in a good mood and came back cussing the Houston climate.

I’ve been talking about starting a daily push-up challenge, which I finally started today. It’s rather simple. I do push-ups every day. I look to see what day of the year it is and I do that many push-ups. For example, today is the 21^st day of 2012, so I did 21 push-ups. I’ll increase by one push-up every day. Sounds simple enough, but let’s see how the retention fares.

Push-ups: 21

Run:

2.35 miles

37:49

16:06 pace

Trailwood Village Bike Route

Busy day at work yesterday yielded an unproductive day. Once I got home I took a quick shower and slept till 3pm. 

I lounged around the house before I finally decided to take my trail bike out for a neighhood stroll. The nearly full-moon lit the streets and the mild winter weather was ideal for cycling. My goal was to ride on every street in Trailwood. Once I uploaded the workout data I realized I missed a few streets.

Trail Bike:

13.14 miles

1:20:21

9.8 mph

First 5-miler of 2012

The first run of 2012 was almost perfect. If today’s run is an insight to the year ahead, then it is going to be a GREAT year!

I pushed Preston in the stroller while Alison biked. Even Alyson joined the fun, making a last minute plea to be able to complete the Woodlands Half Marathon in March. The regimen was an odd mixings of running and walking. I’m proud to say there was a lot more running over the last half of the 5.4 mile loop.

Run:

5.36 miles

1:19:57

14:54 pace

Happy New Years!

I’m totally slacking with my usual New Year recap and resolutions. I’m not even sure I want to set new resolutions, as I tend to seldom adhere to them for more than a month.  

I managed to squeeze in a small 3 mile run (with a lot of walking) this evening. We set out for six miles but had to make an adjustment and settle for three. I forgot my knee brace, which is unfortunate because my knee is quite bothersome now.

The scale was unfriendly to me this morning, revealing a number I was NOT expecting. Sigh...

Run:

3.09 miles

49:08

15:53 pace

MS150 bike ride

Worked 24 hours at Humble FD

It’s New Year’s Eve and I have to work another holiday, while my friends are out partying like rock stars! Luckily, district two was slow today with the exception of a townhouse fire.

I had intentions of squeezing in one more run for 2011, but I got lazy and sat around doing a bunch of nothing.

This evening I took the final step and OFFICIALLY signed up for the MS150 bike ride. Hopefully I can raise the required $400 before March. I’ll be riding with Team Hope. 

Triceps and Back with TS

Friday is historically my off day, but this was the only day Coach Alex could train me. My arms were noodles from the prior workout. We focused on triceps and back. I felt good in the gym and the exercises seemed to assist with the muscle soreness.

Strength Training:

Team Swol Gym

Triceps and Back

Decreased ROM

I finally found my way back into the gym after a two-week layoff. Coach Alex worked on my biceps and chest. There was a huge awakening in regards to my limited range of motion. I felt uncomfortable with a few of the exercises due to this reason, rather than the weights being too heavy.

Aly joined me this evening for a small run around the subdivision. There was sporadic knee pain, seldom lasting more than 50 yards.

The cool air makes my exercise sessions a pleasure.

Run:

3.09 miles

46:19

14:59 pace

Strength Training:

Biceps and Chest

Team Swol Gym

District two run

Worked 24 hours at Humble FD

Leisurely run around station two this evening.

Run:

2.70 miles

39:19

14:33 pace

I was finally able to upload the Garmin and BodyBugg drivers onto my new laptop, as well as synced my iPhone with the new itunes. At least those three things are out of the way. I still need to work on my old training log and determine if Training Peaks is the right online program for me. 

Molly's hip

I went out for another walk/run with Molly. Something went wrong and I feel HORRIBLE about it. Molly was having her typical panic attack when a car drove by and I pulled her forward. I pulled a little harder than expected and she came off the ground and landed on her hip. Shortly afterwards she was limping and we had to stop her run. I palpated the entire leg without any findings and I even moved her leg through typical range of motions without it bothering her. I’m assuming she pulled/sprung something in her hip.

After stopping Molly’s run, I continued with the small two mile route in Trailwood. I forgot to wear my knee brace, which was evident with right knee pain.  Otherwise I had a good run. Send me some positive vibes, hoping molly isn’t seriously injured!

Run:

2.09 miles

32:00

15:18 pace

Stress relieving walk

After another dramatic Christmas, I decided it was time to go for a walk. Don’t read too much into that comment… it was WONDERFUL having my kids home for the holiday. Unfortunately, the women in my life tend to show an unflattering side during the holidays.  I’m not sure why it happens around Christmas for me, but it is getting old AND it is starting to make me hate this holiday for sure!

Molly and I walked a couple miles through Trailwood. It felt good to be outside.  Molly hasn’t been out much and the sight of vehicles driving near us sends her into a full panic attack. I’m not sure how to fix this…

Walk:

2.09 miles

35:31

16:59 pace

Leash Training

The City of Houston hired contractors to remove the dead trees throughout Kingwood. Multiple crews have been working long hours to clear out these trees. Sadly, the landscape of Kingwood has drastically changed. My beloved Kingwood is not the same place anymore. I find the change disheartening.

I’ve patiently been leash training Molly for a month and today we had a huge breakthrough. Never have I seen a dog so resistant to a leash, but today Molly and I walked two-miles along the bayou without any significant issues. Way to go, Molly! I hope to be running with her in a few weeks.

I worked out with Team Swoll at the Sanctuary today. Last Tuesday I joined their sixty-day challenge which included 24 one-on-one personal training sessions. Today was my first session. Coach Alex ran me through an aggressive upper body workout with strong emphasis on my weak back. I pushed outside my comfort zone and ended up stopping twenty minutes into the workout to throw up! Gross, yes I know.  It’s great to be back in the gym. My personal goal is VERY aggressive; I’m shooting for 44 pounds in 60-days… wish me luck!

No one showed up for the Trail Nerd hill workout this evening. I was still exhausted from weight training, so I skipped the hill session as well. To make up for not running, Alyson and I went for a small walk/run while Melanee was having dinner with her father. The weather was nice and cool, making for an easy workout. I wish we would have had time for a few more miles, but I’m glad to run/walk when I can.

I’m stoked to report that I’ve also made it one week off meat! Tonight Alyson made a delicious spinach lasagna dish with lots of tasty and healthy ingredients. I felt a little selfish because I was weary to eat as much as I wanted too because I wasn’t sure of the calorie count. I know it was healthy, vegetarian, and made with good products, but I’m making a serious commitment to win this challenge. In the end, calories count the most, when trying to lose weight.

Push-ups: 60

Walk/run:

4.11 miles

1:03:59

15:34 pace

Trying to make amends...

Happy Vetereans Day!

Today is the beginning of three days off work and I’m not sure what to do with myself!

I straightened up around the house, played with Molly, and cleaned the garage this morning. I rode my bike to Schlotzsky’s for lunch. The ride along my 5-mile loop was very peaceful. Kingwood Lake is finally back to normal water levels, giving the lake its usual serene appearance. On my ride home I stopped by My Fit Foods for their daily special; "$0.11 turkey chili". I'm trying to eat meat-free, but this will be a healthy meal for the kids...

Starting today I’ve decided to go back to a vegetarian diet. The date being 11/11/11 will make it easy for me to remember when I started, right? I feel a lot healthier when I'm eating plant-based foods. The gross amount of weight gain is depressing, especially after seeing a few recent photos. Time to take control...

For several hours today I have been corresponding with the owner of Team Swoll regarding one-on-one personal training suited to fit my goals. It appears we have come to an agreement on both price and service. I’m stoked about getting back in the gym!

On a deeper level, I'm trying to repair a couple of old friendships. In order to protect people’s privacy I tend to leave a lot of content “coded” on my blog, so excuse the vagueness of this paragraph;

I wrote a heart-felt apology letter to an innocent bystander of my prior wrongdoing only to learn the letter will never reach the desired recipient. I respect the decisions of those involved closest to them, but I would like to make amends. I need those people (both of them) to know that I’m truly sorry. At this point I have to accept the fact that I tried.

Just before dark I ran the 3.5 mile WITH Loop. Apparently there was a lot of flooding in the area. All of our trails and orange markers on the East side of the bayou were destroyed. I didn't let the destruction stop my run. We heard a large pack of coyotes a hundred yards away as we entered the forest. We also saw countless deer on the trails. It was a slow walk/run, but cardio is cardio....

Trail Bike:

7.55 miles

41:22

10.95 mph

Push-ups: 60

Run/Walk:
3.64 miles
57:13
15:43 pace

Dysfunctional attitudes at MSC

Worked 10 hours at MSC

For my own sanity I need to get rid of this job. The dysfunctional attitudes are more than I can handle.

Around three-o’clock the counter guys told us there was a scheduled delivery at 4:45… knowing we get off work at 5pm. I've already fought this battle, so they didn’t bug me after I told them I would NOT be taking the delivery. The next guy they asked was not happy about working because he has six kids and would not be able to spend time with them if he was forced to work late. 

Fast forward to 4pm; I was standing next to a fellow co-worker when the owner walked up and asked him; “What’s going on? There seems to be a problem in the warehouse and I don’t like it”. The owner proceeded to yell at the guy, questioning his loyalty to the company (He works 10 hour days and every other Saturday). Even worse, the owner was making comments like; “I pay you electricity bill and put food on your table. If you want to keep this job, you’ll make deliveries when I ask you too!”

I can’t be in this kind of environment. No matter who you are, you can NOT talk to people like that... it is not healthy for either side. 

I ran with the trail nerds tonight. The time change is keeping us off the trails for the time being. Only two ladies showed up, but we had a great run. We picked up the pace over the last half mile and finished with a respectable pace, considering we were running 8/2’s

Run:

3.38 miles

42:14

12:30 pace

Five mile walk

Alyson is having knee pain, so she’s walking the run distances indicated on her half-marathon schedule. My legs aren't feeling too good either. I was hoping a long walk would loosen up my sore muscles.

Aly and I took the kids for a leisure stroll along my 5-mile loop. It was incredibly humid outside, making it hard to find joy being outdoors. Aly and I had a good talk, so it wasn’t a complete loss.

Walk:

5.38 miles

1:35:14

17:42 pace

I was rushed with the kids today. We sat around the house being lazy before the walk. After we all showered we only had enough time to eat a late lunch and visit to Half-Price books. The kids have only been gone a few hours, yet I already miss them…

I occupied my time this evening cooking a big meal; pork loin, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and strawberry shortcake.

Rocky Raccoon 25k race report

Earlier in the week I made the decision to switch from the Rocky Raccoon 50k trail run to the 25k trail run. My training and nutrition remain sub-par, so I made the smart decision and change to a race with a liberal finish time.

Pre–race:

Last night Aly and I stayed out late at a “wine and art” class. Then we found ourselves eating Mexican food at a taqueria at midnight. The end result was less than three hours of sleep before waking up to leave for the race. I went minimalist for the race, which is not my usual style. I woke up and walked out with just my Garmin, knee brace, water bottle, and a baggie full of s-caps.

Weather:

The weather was near perfect for a run. The starting temperature was in the low 40’s with clear blue skies, low humidity levels, and an occasional breeze swept through the forest.

Route/course:

I’ve run this exact route before and run the trails of Huntsville State Park many times. There were no surprises. The trails we’re in good condition and the forest looked stunningly beautiful as the sun was breaking over the horizon

Damage Control:

Not a lot of damage today. I felt really good for the entire race. In fact, I finished the race wishing for more mileage. I maintained a walk/run regimen and never deviated. Once I was done I found a quarter-size blister on the ball of my right foot. Thankfully it doesn’t hurt much, merely looks bad.

Race/RD/Aid stations

The RD, Paul, did a good job with this race. I like the nice non-white tech shirt. The aid station staff was great as usual, but the food seemed to be on the minimal side. The spacing of aid stations was good too.

Gear:

As I stated before, I didn’t take a lot of gear today. I wore my knee brace as a precautionary measure. A couple times during the race I found myself wishing I had a camera and music.

Fuel/Hydration/Supplements;

I took along a Nathan handheld water bottle, which was just enough water to keep me hydrated. I consumed one S-caps every 30-minutes. I didn’t bring along any nutrition, so I decided to fill my bottle up with HEED at the second aid station. The taste wasn’t as bad as I remember and I felt mentally stronger minutes after consuming the sport drink. The only negative side, HEED doesn’t seem to quench my thirst.

Runners and Friends:

There were several Texas Trail Nerds and other friends on the course today. I took Alyson with me. Erin was dropping the kids off to me this morning, so she watched my babies while I finished running. Anna ran her first 25k this morning. She had a difficult time with two gnarly blisters and ended up running without shoes for several miles. Carly also ran her first 25k as well as her first trail race. Carly seemed to have a good race as well, despite a couple falls and blisters. Jeff with KW Tri club ran the 50k and finished 7^th overall. Nicolas, who has more experience on trails, finished 4^th overall in the 50k race.  Jenny woke up sick and missed her first long trail run and there was a report of Vic running the 10k. Congrats to my Texas Trail Nerd friends!!!

Lessons Learned:
There’s always a lot of lessons to learn from trail running. Today I learned to never give up. I was so sleepy this morning I almost decided to cancel my race. Who would have known that I would end up having a GREAT race? I’m confident I could have finished the 50k, although it would have come with an extra dose of pain!

Timing:
It might sound pathetic, but I ran a regimen of; run 3-minutes, walk 7 minutes. On occasion I ran a little longer, but I’m proud of my consistency.

Run:

15.64 miles

3:49:23

14:40 pace

Oh-no, pre-race soreness

Holy crap my legs are sore. Saturday’s race is gonna hurt. Thank goodness I dropped down to the 25k!

Aly and I attended an art class in Katy. It was a lot of fun. I posted pictures of my painting as it progressed... It is suppose to Van Gogh, "Peach tree in Bloom".

After the art class we had Mexican food at midnight. We didn't get home till 1am and I have to wake up for my race at 4am... this is gonna hurt.

Tasty Sammich

Worked 10 hours at MSC

Even though it was a busy day, the work itself wasn't as tough as usual. One shift per week seems to be the correct MSC threshold for me.

After work I rushed home to get ready to run with the Texas Trail Nerds. I was a complete slug last week, so I needed this run in a big way. We met at a school that was a little less than half a mile away from East End Park. This addition added three-quarters of a mile  to our run. It took me nearly three miles to settle into a rhythm, which left me feeling uncomfortable for a majority of the run. I ran with Paula for the first time this evening. She’s an incredibly nice woman and she has a running background equal to her husband’s!

After the run, Alyson prepared a tasty dinner for me, Cajun smoked turkey breast on wheat bread with an assortment of fresh fruit. The lite dinner was a welcomed changed from my typical fast food meals.

Run:

3.79 miles

45:31

12:01 pace

First Day at LSC Fire Recruit Academy

Worked 5 hours at LSC fire recruit academy

I can’t believe it has been seven-weeks since I’ve been on my bike! Shortly after getting home I decided to end the awful streak and ride my trail bike along the 5-mile loop. Oh how I miss cycling… It was nice to be outside, breathing fresh air and feeling my body move me through its environment.

I also did a handful of push-ups after cycling. My back is tight and push-ups always seem to help my core.

The garage has been getting progressively cluttered for nearly a year, especially with the addition of two kayaks. I found some straps at Academy and was able to mount both kayaks to the wall. There was an immediate difference in available floor space, but there is still a need for a lot of cleaning/organizing to do.

I tried taking Molly for a walk, but I’ve NEVER seen a dog so resistant to a leash. I ended up dragging her the entire time. I’m a bit of a hard-ass, so it didn’t bother me, but I got some strange looks from passer-by's

Tonight was my first night teaching at the Lone Star College Fire Recruit Academy. I truly enjoy teaching fire related topics. I can see myself keeping this PT job for a long time...

Trail Bike:
5.3 miles
28:49
11:04 mph

Push-ups: 20

Back on E1

Working 24 hours at Humble FD

Reunited with Engine one and it feels good! Its been awhile, in fact, I was on the medic unit every shift except one for the month of October. Either way, I’m stoked to be back where I belong!

Busy day, although not many calls. We had a meeting over the new opticom system. When functioning correctly, the system gives emergency vehicles preferential green lights at designated signals. 

After lunch we spent the majority of the afternoon testing hose. When everyone puts in an equitable amount of effort, it is a relatively easy task!

We responded to a small apartment fire shortly after finishing the hose testing. It would appear the occupant, a little old lady, was smoking in bed.

There was a large boyscout PR at 7pm, but luckily the captain took care of it.

It was a good day at work!

Cake Balls

Whew, what a busy day!

We started the weekend with a handful of shopping errands. The kids were on their best behavior, making the tasks much easier for me.

Before lunch we took a stab at making “cake balls”. Even though it was messy, the kids had a lot of fun. The rest of the day looked like this;

-Lunch at New York Pizzeria

-Played outside for a couple hours

-Cooked dinner (ground turkey, wheat pasta, with chunky marinara sauce.

-Went to the movies to watch “Puss & Boots”

-Finished the evening by taking the kids to Tutti Frutti for frozen yogurt

Tin Roof BBQ

I was excited to pick up the kids this evening! We didn't have a lot of time, so we decided to spend a relaxing evening at Tin Roof BBQ. The kids played on the large outdoor playground while Aly and I listened to a live band.

Salsa, Tree, and Dinner

Lazy day off

I grabbed groceries so I could cook dinner for Aly tonight. After my trip to HEB, I spent a couple hours cutting down the tree that fell on the garage last week. Then I spent the majority of the afternoon making a large batch of homemade salsa.

My dinner didn’t come out as good as I had hoped, but it was edible.

Aly and I went for a run though the neighborhood. Her knee is still bothering her, yet she finished feeling pretty good. We had a good run despite the return of warm temperatures, humidity, and bugs.

Run:

2.51 miles

36:01

14:21 pace

Demise of KWFIT coaching...

I ran with the KWFIT gang this morning. Before the run started I was pulled to the side by the director and questioned about my interest in the group. She said she had been directed to a blog post, where I stated I had lost interest and was not gaining anything from coaching KWFIT. She also asked me if I still wanted to be a coach.

Immediately I told her I wanted to continue coaching. Actually, I said; “I’m here, right? I use a lot of my personal vacation time to run with KWFIT”.

My running style is different, therefore I tend to run solo and talk to runners here and there as I pass them or they pass me. I don’t have the usual collective group of runners every week. This morning I had a long time to think about that encounter while I ran solo.

After mulling the thoughts over, I think my tenure at KWFIT has run its course. I have numerous friends that coach for other USA-FIT locations. It's almost embarrassing when we discuss the difference in the USA-FIT locations. I have lots to say about the matter, but I’ll keep most of them to myself. The same person that showed my blog to her before will probably show this post to her as well. Please don’t be mistaken; KWFIT has several great coaches and runners. They also have a few horrible coaches (if you want to call them a coach).

For the record I want to say that Coach Bonnie works tirelessly with the half-marathon group and she deserves a HUGE kudos for her effort.

I’ll end my rant with this. This year I have contributed the following to KWFIT:

-Presented a weekly seminar about heat related emergencies

-Remained active on the KWFIT Facebook page

-Worked hard to moderate the KWFIT FB page from unwanted spam/advertisement

-Used more than 36 hours of my own personal vacation time to attend the group run(s)

-Written several online “documents” for the runners

-Been positive and encouraged every runner I come across

-Given out tons of running injury advice

-Lead the half-marathon group in pre-run dynamic stretches

-I post additional runs 1-2 times during the week

The reason I continue to coach is because I love the sport. Clearly, I get very little in return. I do this as a labor of love. I’m not looking for huge accolades, but I’m offended that the director questioned my interest in the group. She made me feel very unappreciated. This blog is MY JOURNAL of MY THOUGHTS. Don’t worry about what you read, take a look at my actions.

I digress…

My run went well and felt surprisingly easy. I continue to run intervals of 8/2 when the distance is greater than three miles. I'm staying true to my schedule and my pace is quickly dropping. I turned around at the top of the Kingwood Lake hill which gave me 6.4 miles rather than the scheduled 7.0 miles. Later today Aly and I are going running, so that will tack on a couple more miles…

Run:

6.41 miles

1:13:22

11:27 pace

Second run of the day was on the trails with Aly. We had to alter our route because the mosquitoes were attacking us with vengeance.  We had a good run, even though Aly’s knee is bothering her. Hope this goes away so we can continue running together.

The double run netted me nearly 10 miles for the day. Even better, I feel like it wasn’t anything to it…

Run:

3.29 miles

48:44

14:49 pace

Bob Saget

Worked ~6 hours at Citywide Lawn & Pest

I worked with Tom yesterday for a few hours. I felt bad for rushing and adamantly reminding him I had to be done before 3pm. Tom dropped me off in Humble at 1:30, but there were still a couple jobs left for the day. I’ll make this up to him.

Aly and I enjoyed a delicious dinner at the Cadillac Bar. From there we went to the Improv Comedy Club to watch Bob Saget. He was really, really fun! His content was much different than I expected, although I had been warned that he was crude. Maybe I’m warped, but the louder, nastier, cruder they are the more I like it…

We show finished early, so Aly and I hung out at the house and watched a movie. 

I love my Texas Trail Nerd group!!!

I spent 3.5 hours at 4Wheel Parts, waiting for them to realign my truck. During my drive to Kansas I noticed it was pulling to the left… again. They said a “cam” came loose. Even though it was an unreasonably long wait, the truck seems to be tracking normally again.

I ran with the Texas Trail Nerd gang this evening. We had a total of ten runners for the easy three-mile outer perimeter loop of East End Park. It was exciting to see three runners (I was one of them) proudly sporting the new TTN club shirts! The cooler weather is showing in our pace as we logged another sub-11:00/mile average pace tonight.

After the TTN run I met up with Aly so we could run a couple miles of 4R/2W intervals around her neighborhood together. It was an easy run for both of us; in fact we added an extra interval just for fun!

Run:

5.69 miles

1:10:32

12:24 pace

Spring Creek BBQ Fundraiser

Worked 9 hours at MSC

It was an uneventful day at work. I’ve cut my availability down to one day a week. Hopefully this will help me extend my tenure at MSC.

After work Aly and I went to Spring Creek for a school fundraiser. I had a lot of fun meeting some of her friends.

We finished the day with a night run through the neighborhood. Aly has just begun running, but she is doing really well!

Run:

1.98 miles

27:57

14:05 pace

Visitors at the Fire Station

Worked 24 hours at HFD

Nice, easy day on medic one with Josh. Slow day, other than one VERY sick six-year old, who was having an allergic reaction.

Out of nowhere, my right knee has started bothering me. If I had to guess, I would say it’s the result of placing my feet up on a coffee table for a long time (The table is higher than the chair).

Later in the evening, Aly and Melanee visited me at the fire station for a tour. It was a great way to end my day at work.

Slave Driver!

Today was a WICKEDLY busy day.

As soon as we woke up, the kids, Mikey, and I spent three hours working in the yard. I removed ~$500 worth of dead shrubbery that didn’t survive the summer drought. It wasn’t fun, but the yard looked great afterwards.

After lunch we tried to carve the pumpkins we bought at the fall festival yesterday. Apparently the pumpkins are raw; because they were so hard we couldn’t carve them. I even used some of my tools for cutting wood and the pumpkin flesh bent them as well!

I hate doing a lot of “work” when the kids are home, but this was one of my few days off. So… we spent an hour or so cleaning the house, primarily the floors. Alison is such a HUGE helper and I couldn’t have done it without her.

Erin and I met early, which left me some time to see Aly later that night. We just hung out at the house and watched a movie.

It was another great day!

Kingwood FIT and Fall Festival

Ran with KWFIT this morning

The route started at the church and ran to the top of the hill at Kingwood Lake, near my house. The six mile run went a lot better than I expected. I was tired and the blisters on my feet are still tender. Andrea recently started running again, and joined the group for this morning’s run. It’s always nice running with people I know. The run was easy, partly because of the cool temperatures and partly because we ran intervals of 8/2. I’m stoked about the 12:10 pace, which includes our walk time.

I rushed to the Woodlands after the run to pick up Alison and Preston. After lunch at Los Vega’s we spent a couple hours at a local church Fall Festival. We had fun playing games, taking pictures, and picking out three pumpkins to carve later this weekend. By coincidence we saw Aly and her friends at the fall festival too. It was nice to see and talk to her for a few minutes.

The rest of the night was uneventful. The kids and I just played around the house.

Run:

6.36 miles

1:17:22

12:10

Pictures coming soon....

Back to my normal regimen; Work, Run...

Worked 10 hours at MSC

I wish I could say it was a good day, but it wasn't. My days at MSC are numbered. At least I burn tons of calories working in the warehouse. 

The Texas Trail Nerds ran at East End Park tonight. Everyone enjoyed the moderately paced three-mile outer park perimeter loop. My legs are heavy and I’m ready for a day off from running.

Meet with a new friend after the run. We just hung out at the park and talked. Her dog broke her leash and ran away. We logged a couple miles getting a new leash from her house and looking for the dog. I even ran a half mile back to my truck when she got home.

Run:

3.48 miles

38:11

10:58 pace

Walk:

1.50 miles

30:00

20:00 pace

Outdoor Date

This morning I started a new weight challenge with Jess. Maybe the challenge will help motivate me to lose some weight.

I spent the majority of the afternoon on an amazing outdoor date. Even though the date was a spur of the moment idea, it turned out great!

We started the afternoon with a kayak ride from River Grove Park to the other side of the West Lake Houston Parkway Bridge. We struggled with getting the kayaks in and out of the park due to the ankle-deep mud. The peaceful paddle ride made dealing with the frustrating & stinky mud worth our troubles. We had a lot of time to talk and joke around with one another.

After the boat ride we went for a leisure run. We started near my house and ran to the third bridge on Kingwood Lake, and back. Since she’s a new runner, I wasn’t expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised how well she did. To make the deal even sweeter, I’ve convinced her to run a half marathon! Ahhh, the beauty of bringing another runner into the fold... GOTTA LOVE IT!

We finished the evening with a trip to Subway. The healthier selection was her idea and it suited me perfect. I’ve done very well on my diet today. My daily deficit should be near -2,500 kcals!

Kayak:

4.6 miles

Run/walk:

3.0 miles

45:00

15:00 pace

Finally, a snake without a bad attitude...

It was another lazy day around the house. I'm truly enjoying the extra days off work. Visited with several friends during the day, which is always pleasant.

The lead the Texas Trail Nerds on a hike today along the W.I.T.H trail. We started earlier than usual, yet we still ran out of light. I finally cleared the limbs from the trailhead along Hamlin Road. Near the end of the trail we ran across a cottonmouth snake. Luckily, we were warned by another runner of his location. The snake wasn’t aggressive as most water snakes. There again, the temperature was cooler which is a direct link to their aggression… in my opinion.

I handed out a bunch of the club shirts after the run. I can’t wait to see these things all over town!

Walk:

3.68 miles

1:09:10

18:46 pace

Walking on blistered feet

My feet are feeling better today. My back is sore, but tolerable.

I didn't do much today other than unload my backpack and running gear bags. Later in the evening I met with a new friend for a leisure three-mile walk. I was surprised how well my feet tolerated the walk, however, latter that night I paid for it dearly. The blisters sealed up and filled with fluid, which was painful. Once again I popped the blisters and drained the fluid...

The walk and discussion were great. I didn't wear my garmin, so I don’t know the exact numbers. We walked a decent pace and were gone for about one-hour.

Walk:

3.0 miles

1:00:00

20:00 pace

Problems brewing...

Worked 10 hours at MSC

It was a tough day at my part-time job.

My tolerance level for whinny little boys pretending to be men is wearing THIN. MSC is a TOUGH job and I bust my ass for the company, but the bull shit makes it harder than it needs to be. Thankfully I have a dream job lined up; I even have a "new-hire" packet already!!!

In other news, during a DOT driver physical I found out I have cataracts in my right eye.

I had just enough mental & physical energy for a three-mile trail run this evening with the Texas Trail Nerds. Five members ran the outer perimeter of East End Park. We pushed the pace on the second half of the run, which was most evident by the lack of conversation. It was a great run!

Run:
3.0 miles
33:30
11:10 pace

W.I.T.H. Loop with the Texas Trail Nerds

Worked 10 hours at MSC

The heat is back. It was an easy day in regards to driving and lifting a bunch of heavy crap. On the other hand, I spent a lot of time in the warehouse where the temperatures were easily over 100 degrees most of the day.

I had another good day of running with my fellow Texas Trail Nerds. Steve, Paula, Moni, Andrea, Kim, and Barb met at Foster Elementary for an easy three mile loop. We have not labeled this particular loop, but today Paula helped with the name. The part where we exit the trails onto Hamilon Road is always different. I don’t know why I can’t consistently exit the same area. Near the end of the run, Paula suggested we call this route the W.I.T.H Loop. (Where In The Hell are we Loop). It’s official, from here forward it is the WITH loop)

My legs felt good, which is a boost to my otherwise busted running ego. I took the lead because Steve was being extremely careful about running on odd surfaces. This year the Houston Marathon will be his 500^th marathon and he doesn’t want anything to happen between now and the race… and I can’t say I blame him!

Run:

2.81 miles

36:51

13:07 pace

NIGHT Trail Run, with the nerds...

I had a long, stressful night at the Fire Department and ended up taking the day off work at MSC.

Today was the first Texas Trail Nerds NIGHT trail run. We ran the three-miler outer loop of East End Park. The sky was pitch black, the air was humid and the forest was alive with intrigue. We heard an array of wildlife in the forest, but only saw a possum and a field rat.

The mileage clicked off fast and my legs felt great for the duration of the run. I was inclined to run additional mileage, but I needed to get some sleep before work tomorrow.

Run:

2.99 miles

38:08

12:45 pace

Alison's 10 years old!

Happy birthday to my wonderful and beautiful daughter, Alison who is turning ten years old today.

I hiked along the Ameri Loop Trail at Lake Houston Park. This trail has quickly become my favorite ten mile hike, although I don’t much like the deep, loose sand near the creeks.

My initial plan was to hike the loop twice, but I lost interest. The temperature is rising again and I was walking under the heat of 90 degrees. I tried using honey stingers as my nutrition. The taste and texture is great, but they upset my stomach. I was nauseated for thirty minutes after consuming the honey stingers. Other than than eating honey stingers I kept everything simple, just water and S-caps.

Late last night I purchased a new Osprey fast pack from REI. The pack is AWESOME, but it moves quite a bit while running. It’s a great day-hike pack, so I'll probably keep it. 

Run:

1.59 miles

19: 30

12:16 pace

Walk:

8.95 miles

2:43:30

18:16 pace

Trinity County Fair

I ran with KWFIT this morning, although that phrase is not entirely true. When the KWFIT season began, I was assigned to the 11:00-12:00/mile pace group, but lately I’ve been running 12:00+/mile on my runs. So, I've kinda been running solo, picking up the occasional "straggler" runner...

I dread the early morning runs on concrete and I spend entirely too much time trying to find a way to get out of it. I’ll continue helping KWFIT, yet it gives very little back to me in return. Each week I want out of the obligation, but I keep telling myself; this is one of the commitments where I have to be a man of my word!

The first few miles were horrible. My legs were heavy and I ached all over, which is somewhat common on early morning runs. Since the distance was over three miles I decided to run my usually 8/2’s. My "assigned" group was already out of sight within a couple miles, so I didn’t feel bad about running a handful of walk intervals.

To my surprise I settled into a decent rhythm during the last two miles. I managed to finish five miles feeling good.

Immediately after the run I drove to Trinity to be with the kids at the annual Trinity County Fair. Alison raised three rabbits for 4H. She showed her rabbits last night and placed 12^th out of 24. Tonight the auction takes place and we’re hoping the buyers are feeling generous.

The kids and I had a great time at the county fair doing general fairground stuff… face painting, rides, food, dancing, etc. On the way home I even took a few minutes out of my day to stop by my parents place. Of course they gave me a small things they need repaired, but that’s normal. I wish I had the time and money to help them more....

It has made for a long day, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Run and walk breaks were combined since the overall pace was less than 13:00/mile.

Run:

5.22 miles

1:07:16

12:53 pace

Three in the park

Worked 10 hours at MSC

After sleeping nearly 15 hours yesterday, yet I still woke up tired. What the heck!?!? I feel a lot better today, minus a slight headache and general achiness.

I met up with five Texas Trail Nerds at East End Park for the 3-mile outer loop. I struggled for the first couple miles, but slipped into a great rhythm over the last mile. We ran continuous today, which is something I need to work on more. The humidity was higher near the back of the park, but the lower 90 degree temperature helped keep everything in check.

It’s been a good day, even though it has been busy and tiresome…

Run:

3.0 miles

34:51

11:37 pace

Sick

Shortly after getting off work at the fire department I started feeling ill. My off day schedule was packed and I was sure to be busy all day, but I had to put everything on hold.

By the time I got back home at 10am, I was running a 102 degree fever, nauseated/vomiting, and I had general weakness all over.

I slept till 6:30pm. The only reason I woke up was to walk to the Foster Elementary and tell the Texas Trail Nerd gang that I would not be running with them. This was a huge disappointment for me as there were about eight runners in attendance, including Steve Boone.

A few hours later I was back in bed for the remainder of the night…

CASA 5k Trail Race report

A few weeks ago Karen and I decided to run the CASA 5k as a “Texas Trail Nerd club social”. Karen obtained permission from the race director to set our club tent and banner. I took the social a step further and cooked ~20 breakfast tacos the night before. On the race website I didn't see any food sponsors, so I thought this would be a nice treat after to the race.

The morning started off good, even though I’m in a constant cycle of sleep deprivation. We arrived at Jones National Forest an hour early and had no problems setting up our club tent. I was proud to display our club banner and it is starting to feel like we’re a legitimate running club.

During the pre-race announcements the race director acknowledged our club and thanked us for our support. The RD even told the crowd how Karen ran thirty miles the night before and was still here this morning. Again, another proud moment for the Texas Trail Nerds.

My run started bad and never improved. My legs were completely dead and my head was not into the race. It was only a 5k, so I knew I could tough out the mileage. The scenery of the park is stunning, although I found it difficult to run in the 4-6 inches of sand on the jeep roads. My legs never loosened up, so I decided to minimize the suffering with a regimen of 8/2’s.

In the final half mile we were running on a wide compact forest trail. I opened up my stride for a solid finish to an otherwise crappy performance. I’ve spent a lot of time wondering what the problem’s were, but I know it is the same issues; weight, poor nutrition, and more recently... a lack of sleep.

Karen finished her run in a blazing 24:55, which was good enough for the FIRST PLACE FEMALE MASTERS win. Karen is very humble, so much so that I was more excited than she was!

The timing company was having issues with the results, and we had to hang around for nearly an hour before the award ceremony. The wait was well worth it to see Karen receive her medal and for a second “shout out” to the Texas Trail Nerds by the race director. I've realized a couple things... we need a website to direct people to and some type of flyer.

After the race I drove back home from the Woodlands, to prepare for Alison’s ice skating party in College Station, TX. The drive there was a BEAST and took me 3.5 hours due to traffic from a wreck.

I had a blast hanging out with Erin and the kids.  The party was a huge success and everyone seemed to have a great time. I didn't come prepared to skate, but I think I’d like would like to try skating in the future. After the party I hung out with Erin and the kids while we were shopping for Alison’s 4H outfits for the upcoming Trinity County Fair. Alison doesn't like shopping for clothes, so we had our hands full trying to select outfits for the judging and auction. 

It was a long day with a ton of driving, but it was all worth it!

Run (CASA 5k)

3.11 miles

37:22

12:03